OT, but very important to those who work ANY overtime..........

[Madrone]

I've only been the member of one union in my working history - conincidentally, it was in a grocery store.

 My union didn't do JACK to help me when I was facing termination due to an HONEST mistake - after over one year of employment and near perfect cash handling (I was the best in the store). The union didn't back me, and I lost my job. I was only 18 or so at the time - but that union really pissed me off.

 If that had been my only union experience I probably would be disgusted with them in general, BUT, I am the daughter of a man that was president of his union local for as far back as I can remember.

 My dad's company closed it's doors after he'd worked there for 32 years - (a paper mill). Lucky for my dad AND the rest of the employees, my dad negotiated their serverance packages.  He can be a real class-A bastard, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have fight for me in a situation like that.

 Incidentally, he was out of work for 3 years after losing that job - even after going back to school for a degree.

 He finally found one, but had to move over 2 hours away to do so.

[StPaulieGirl]

I can see your point about not wanting to appear to roll over.  It would set a precedent for future negotiations.  Not too many people were sympathetic towards this strike.  However in the future, should the grocery stores try and rape their employees, they will lose quite a bit of money.  There are independent grocery stores, Big Lots, and the 99 cent store.  I shop at all those anyway, but I would make an effort not to set foot into any chain that is on strike.  I'm already disgusted by the price of groceries down here.  

Years ago, unions were needed to protect workers from unscrupulous employers.  We still have the bad apples, but now many of the unions are corrupt as well.  I can imagine that it's a tough spot to be in.  How come your husband's fellow employees get rid of that union?  

[Kitty C.]

I live in a right-to-work state, and one of the provisions is that if you get a union in, that place fo employment MUST remain unionized.  You CAN change unions, tho.  Right now, they're under the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way, but I think they also qualify for others, like the Teamsters.   I just don't think they did their homework when they went looking for a union to represent them.

[StPaulieGirl]

I don't think it was so much as not doing their homework, as that they probably got conned.

Can the employees set up their own union?  I don't know how that stuff works, but why not?  I've never heard of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way.  Madrone's dad was the head of a union.  Maybe she knows if it can be done.

[MYSONSDAD]

"Children learn what they live"